Florida Gators Football: Week One Awards From Win Over Miami (OH)
It's probably safe to say that Urban Meyer, as well as the rest of the Gator Nation, is not happy with the Florida Gators' performance in their 34-12 victory over the Miami (OH) RedHawks.
The Gators fumbled eight times and lost three of them, accumulated only 26 yards of total offense through the first three quarters, and even surrendered a first down on a fake punt play by the RedHawks.
While most Florida fans would like to forget about the ugly game that took place in Gainesville Saturday, here's a look at the awards for the Gators' up-and-down 2010 season opener.
Defensive Play Of The Game: Janoris Jenkins
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After the offense ended its first three possessions with fumbles, junior cornerback Janoris Jenkins decided to take scoring into his own hands.
The defensive play of the game in the Gators' victory over Miami (OH) came on a 67-yard interception return by Jenkins to get Florida on the scoreboard early in the second quarter.
On a day when the offense was sputtering like an ugly orange and blue jalopy, Jenkins energized the Gators by coming through in the clutch and finding the end zone for a crucial Florida touchdown.
Offensive Play of The Game: Jeff Demps
2 of 9In the first three quarters of Saturday's game, the Florida Gators had posted 25 yards of total offense.
On their first offensive drive of the fourth quarter, junior running back Jeff Demps tripled the team's offensive output on consecutive carries of three and 72 yards, respectively.
I'm sure you can guess which of those two runs makes it as the offensive play of the game.
The Miami (OH) defense had done a great job of bottling up Florida's playmakers at the line of scrimmage during the first three quarters, but when a speedster like Demps finds a hole, he's gone in a heartbeat.
Defensive MVP: The Secondary
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The Gator defense, particularly the performance by the secondary, saved Florida from a possible upset at the hands of the Miami (OH) RedHawks Saturday.
Interceptions by senior safety Ahmad Black, junior cornerback Janoris Jenkins, and sophomore cornerback Jeremy Brown, as well as non-secondary member and sophomore linebacker Jon Bostic, the Gators were able to offset the offense's three turnovers.
The secondary was also responsible for Florida's first touchdown by way of Jenkins' 67-yard interception return and Black's 40-yard interception return put the offense at the two-yard line, which led to a rushing touchdown by freshman backup quarterback Trey Burton.
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Offensive MVP: N/A
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Junior running back Jeff Demps was very close to winning this award, but aside from his 72-yard touchdown, he didn't have a very good game (seven carries, 26 yards) against the RedHawks.
Other than Demps and sophomore wide receiver/tight end Omarius Hines (three catches, 49 yards, one touchdown), Saturday was a day to forget for the Florida offense.
The longest drive of the day, aside from Demps' 72-yard rushing touchdown (two plays, 75 yards), was the last Gator possession, a 55-yard effort which ended on a 25-yard touchdown catch by junior slot receiver Chris Rainey off a deflection.
Because of the Orange and Blue's offensive futility, no Gator will receive this award for their performance against Miami (OH).
The Tim Tebow Award: Trey Burton
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In a move that conjured up memories of a certain guy that used to wear No. 15 for the Florida Gators, backup quarterback Trey Burton bulldozed into the end zone to make it a 21-3 game.
Granted, he just played his first game as a Gator and comparing him to Tim Tebow may be a bit presumptuous, but Burton has a similar build and I believe he could do well as a short-yardage back this season.
If he can make more plays like his touchdown run Saturday against South Florida in the second game of the season, then he may very well become the next Tebow--the 2006 freshman prototype, of course.
The "Being In The Right Place at The Right Time" Award: Chris Rainey
6 of 9Junior Chris Rainey capped Florida's scoring for the day when he caught a 25-yard touchdown pass that was deflected off the hands of sophomore wide receiver/tight end Omarius Hines.
While catching a break like that helped pad the lead, and will help the Gators in the polls, any team prefers to score their touchdowns based on skill and not chance (look at Urban Meyer's reaction in the video).
However, on a day when the Florida offense was as bad as it could be, I'm sure they were willing to take anything they can get and a little luck here and there is never a bad thing.
Let's just hope that the Gator offense will be more efficient come September 11 when they take on the South Florida Bulls.
The Biggest Hit Award: Ahmad Black
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My seat at the game was pretty high up in "The Swamp" (Section 33, Row 85, Seat 11), so I was pretty far away from the action.
However, late in the fourth quarter, one play made me feel like I was right on the sideline.
After catching a pass from quarterback Zac Dysert, wide receiver DeMarco Paine was stopped by senior safety Ahmad Black for a gain of four yards.
While it looked like a typical short-yardage pass, the force of Black's contact with Paine made a sound I heard way up in the upper deck.
It was a play that few will remember, but it was one helluva hit.
The "Most-Missed Gator" Award: Maurkice Pouncey
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When Urban Meyer announced that senior offensive lineman Mike Pouncey would be moving to center to take over for his twin brother and NFL Draft first-round pick Maurkice Pouncey, everyone expected a seamless transition.
Mike was named to the preseason watch list for the Rimington Award, given to the nation's best center, and he was the center for the preseason All-SEC first team in Phil Steele's 2010 College Football Preview.
However, despite several errant snaps that led to multiple fumbles by quarterback John Brantley, Pouncey assured the Gator Nation that there will not be an encore for his performance Saturday.
"It will be fixed by next week," the team captain told Joseph Goodman of The Miami Herald. "We've got a long way to go as an offense. We did some good things, but everybody saw the obvious stuff we did terrible on."
I have faith in Mike and I believe he'll be a good center, but his performance against the RedHawks has probably made Florida fans much more appreciative of Maurkice's smooth transition from right guard to center in 2008.
Miami (OH) Game Awards Recap
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Final Score: Florida Gators 34 - Miami (OH) RedHawks 12
Defensive Play of the Game: Janoris Jenkins' 67-yard interception return for a touchdown
Offensive Play of the Game: Jeff Demps' 72-yard touchdown run
Defensive MVP: The Gator Secondary (23 tackles, three interceptions, one touchdown)
Offensive MVP: N/A
The Tim Tebow Award: Trey Burton
The "Being in the Right Place at the Right TIme" Award: Chris Rainey
The Biggest Hit Award: Ahmad Black
The "Most-Missed Gator" Award: Maurkice Pouncey, Pittsburgh Steelers center
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